Mbikene’s Story-Malawi

February 2023

In the heart of Southern Malawi is the tourist district of Mangochi, known for its beautiful view of Lake Malawi.

Mangochi is one of the few places in Malawi that has a predominantly Muslim population, with only 1% of the residents identifying as Christian. Young Life leaders have invited teenagers to camp in Mangochi for years, but have not had a local Young Life ministry. Using the tools of map, tree, and list as their guide, the Malawi leadership team decided to take the initiative to pray for Young Life to start in this area.

After 3 years of praying, Zein Tembo, the Regional Director for Young Life Malawi, asked Mbikene if he would be willing to relocate his family to Mangochi to start Young Life there. Having grown up around Muslims, Mbikene knew the exact cost of saying yes to this call. He was anxious for his son who was only a few months old. He had fears about the hot weather and his wife’s comfort in this new area, as well as the big question: “How am I going to share the gospel with teenagers in a Muslim community?” After months of praying, he decided to trust the Lord and move. In this case, it was moving to Mangochi to pioneer the Young Life ministry among the Muslim community.

He first spent time visiting Mangochi to pray and make connections on the ground. As he connected to other Christian leaders and missionaries in the area, Mbikene’s confidence in the Lord’s timing grew. He was confident that God had gone ahead of him to establish this work before Mbikene even started. In November of 2022, Mbikene, along with his wife and son, moved their lives to Mangochi so that teenagers there would have an opportunity to experience the life-changing power of the gospel. By the time Mbikene was moving to Mangochi, the adult support team he had established was in place to welcome him and his family.